Duerme con los Ángeles
by Bakaness
Summary: A slight AU, featuring Duo talking to... someone. A play on who the pilots really are.


Duerme con los Ángeles  

By Bakaness

Disclaimer: I'm a frustrated senior tapping out random drivel in front of a computer at 5 am. I don't own anything of value, which includes all the lovely boys from Gundam Wing. And, as I'm pretty sure I'm not God, I assume the angels aren't mine, either. 

Warnings: A teeny, tiny, hint of a possibility of shonen ai, AU, possibly OOC, a bit of AU and Relena in a positive light. Also, don't read if you can't handle a bit of Christianity gunk. Um… maybe a PG label on this, not too sure though. 

***

I know who I am. So what, you say? Well, I'm not who you think I am. Ok, ok, so no-one is, but that's not my point. The point is, my name isn't Duo. Ok, so you knew that already – aren't you the little guerrilla-opposition fan?

I know who the others are too. Ah, so that has you surprised? Good, you don't know everything, after all. So, who are they? Heh… you wouldn't believe me if I told you. 

Before I met Solo, and named myself Duo, two other people had named me. The first I assume was my mother, or a doctor, or something… It doesn't matter, it was a sucky name anyway. What sort of person names someone Dwight, for crying out loud? Do I LOOK like a Dwight to you? Don't even THINK about saying yes. 

The other… was this freaky old man. He musta been a missionary or something, since he was handing out food to some older kids. I'd never seen anyone just give away food before, so I followed him. When he had opened the door to his little house, I turned away, until I heard him call out. "Come in, young man." He hadn't turned around the entire time, there was no way he could have seen me. I followed him inside.

That decision changed my life, forever. And no, I'm not being melodramatic. 

It was a kitchen, but I haven't seen one like that since then. The ceiling was COVERED with bunches of plants, hanging up to dry. There was a huge wooden table in the middle of the kitchen, and one wall was covered in shelves filled with little jars and bottles, all neatly labelled… I didn't know that then, duh, since I couldn't read. But I guess they were neat. Whatever. The man pulled the curtains over the window open, and sunlight poured in. Then, only then, did he turn to look at me. He walked over to where I was frozen in the doorway, and knelt down to look me in the eyes. I had never seen eyes like his before. They were… purple. An incredibly vibrant, deep, brilliant purple. They were the second most beautiful eyes I've EVER had the pleasure of gazing into. 

Oh, don't look at me like that. Yes, I had seen what I looked like before I met the guy – my eyes used to be cornflower blue. They were! Look, I think I'd know what colour my eyes were, what with all the old farts going "Come here, Blue Eyes, let's have some fun..."

Well, anyway, he stared into my eyes for absolutely ages, which shoulda been freaky, but, somehow, wasn't. Then, the guy did the oddest thing, he kissed me. No, perv, not like that. On the forehead, right here. See that mark? I didn't use to have that, either. 

Well, like I was saying… then he just stared into my eyes for a really long time, and said the oddest thing. "Hello Azrael. Good to see you again." Then he smiled, and it was one of the most beautiful things I'd ever seen. And keep your perverted mind to yourself… I was like, 7 or so, ok? Then, he asked if I wanted some tea. He got up and bustled around the kitchen, making this weird tea out of stuff from a bunch of jars, which he boiled together while he pulled out bread and cheese, and helped me up onto a stool to sit at the table. I ate, and I drank, and we chatted… and then… I passed out. All I remember is him catching me as I toppled off the stool. 

I dreamt.

I remembered.

I changed. 

I awoke in his bed the next – I think – morning. He gave me more tea – a different one, this time… and he spoke to me in a language that was so beautiful… and I understood down here… but not up here. So I can't tell you what he said… except that it made sense. 

Later, he gave me this cross. He said it was to remind me, always, of who I am. But how could I forget? Especially since when I woke up that morning, my eyes had changed. I saw them in his bathroom mirror. They were deep, swirling violet – just like his were. His were paler than they were the day before – more brown than they had been.

The next night, the worst nightmares began. The ones I can hardly remember, except for an overwhelming sense of loss – and that they were in that language. Tongues.

You may know him as Professor G.

I know him as Raziel, keeper of the book that contains all earthly and celestial knowledge, holder of the 1,500 keys to the mysteries of the universe. 

He doesn't remember, of course. He had completed his mission – passing on the knowledge, so I guess he drank a special tea that night, as well. None of the others do, either, although I think Quatre may have an idea. Does Islam have angels? I must ask him sometime. So who are they, you wonder? Hee-chan, predictably enough, was Michael, heaven's warlord. Who else but the one who defeated Satan could be the Perfect Soldier? Q – now he was Camael. What, you're surprised he's not Raphael? Please… Sally was Rapha – angel of healing. Camael was the angel of divine love… and the commander of 12,000 Avenging Angels… Some things never change, ne? And Tro… Israfel, the possessor of the sweetest voice of the universe. But he doesn't use it anymore, so I guess angels can change who they are, just like people. Cassiel, the obsessive-compulsive, dragon-riding housekeeper of the heavens, insisting EVERYTHING be put back exactly where it was, hasn't changed a bit. Yeah, he became the Wu-man. Have you ever seen that old 2-D show? FUNNY man… if you speak Mandarin, that is. 

And me? Take a wild guess – I call myself Shinigami for a reason, you know. I was Azrael – the Angel of Death. 

So you wanna know why, huh? Why we're all down here, instead of up there, doing the jobs we were created for? It's pretty simple, really. Who but archangels can fight against an army of demons?

Yeah, the demons are here too. Everyone from Byleth, who was a pain even before he Fell, and Mastiphal, to my old mates Tenebrion, Andras, Ascaroth, and Bedhard – darkness, discord, spying, and tempests, respectively. Those guys were such fun – they almost talked me into Falling too. But hey, what can I say – I've always been a sucker for blue-eyed angels with messy hair. 

See, your great-gran wasn't off her rocker when she told you angels walked on Earth. No, kiddo, that's not a good thing. See, we're not supposed to be here. But, the War has started again in full-force, except this time, it's waged on Earth, so to speak, rather than in heaven. This means that there are innocents involved, and not everyone ends up where they're supposed to be. Before, it was clearer – us and them, the Fallen and the Flying. Now, everything's so messed up. I don't know how we're going to fix this. I know I need to keep faith, but it's so hard sometimes, especially as a mortal. 

Thanks kid, I needed that. And now you need to sleep. Duerme con los ángeles, cariño. Heh, I remembered all the mortal languages when Raza Woke me. It's useful. And thanks for listening, but I'm afraid that, by morning, you'll have to forget everything I told you. Shh, it's ok. It's better like this, I promise. Don't worry – you'll dream with angels every night from now on, I promise. Good Night. 

***

Duo flipped off the light and quietly closed the door as he sent a quick prayer/request for little Relena for dream of angels, so all her evil memories, and that conversation, would be gently cleansed from her mind. He leant against the closed door, and sighed softly, whispering, almost inaudibly into the darkness "I hope we can keep you safe, Uriel – you're our last hope."

As Duo strode down the silent corridor to his room, which, for once, he didn't have to share, he failed to notice the shadow that detached itself from the wall. Heero stared after Duo, his head whirling with questions about the conversation he had overheard. He returned to his room, and, booting up and connecting, typed a short query to the world, "Who are the archangels Azrael, Michael, and Uriel?" Maybe, just maybe, the internet could give him the answers he needed. 

Notes:

Duerme con los ángeles, cariño, is Spanish for "sweet dreams, darling," although it translates literally to "sleep with the angels." This also alludes to the superstition that, if you dream of angels, all your bad memories will be taken away. 

Uriel, for those curious, is the Angel of Light, specializing in salvation, ministration, peace, magic, divine order, emergencies, judgement, and turning failures into blessings, among other things. While many people despise Relena, and I personally hate her being paired with Heero, I think the girl has some potential. I made her younger in this AU both so that she'd be easier for Duo to confide in, and for the plot to make sense – the angels are waiting for her to grow up, and work her magic (or magick, if you prefer).

Oh, and, for the record, I'm not Christian, I'm not writing this in order to convert anyone, or anything of the sort – I just like the idea of angels, and it's VERY late at night… Info on these angels was taken from Spirit Boom, found at http://www.geocities.com/boomspirit so blame him if the info is wrong. 


End file.
